Meganola mesothermoides (Poole, 1989)

(Figs 37–38, 79, 99)

Nola mesothermoides Poole, 1989, Lepidopterorum Catalogus 118, Noctuidae, part II: 698. Type locality: [Ghana] Gold Coast, Bibianaha. Holotype, ♀ (NHMUK).

Nola mesotherma Hampson, 1914, Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum, Supplement 1: 409. Nom. praeocc., junior secondary homonym of Celama mesotherma Hampson, 1909 .

Type material examined. Holotype. ♀, red ring type label, “ Gold Coast. Bibianaha. 700 ft. VI.1912. H.G.F. Spurrell. 1912-275.”, with handwritten: “ Nola mesotherma type ♀. Hmpsn.”, BMNH (E) 1403523, Slide No.: NHMUK010315152 (prep. by Gy.M. László) (NHMUK).

Additional material examined. Liberia. 1 ♂, 865m, Lofa County, 8°07’10”N, 9°57’11”W, 24–29.xi.2017, Light Trap (blended bulb 250W), Aristophanous, M., Sáfián, Sz., Simonics, G. & Smith, L. leg. ANHRT:2017.33, slide No.: LGNA 502 (ANHRT).

Remark. The copulatory organ of the female holotype is illustrated here for the first time (Fig. 99) matching with the female genitalia illustrated in Hacker et al. (2012: 460). A male specimen from Liberia in the ANHRT collection reminiscent of the female holotype is considered here to be the previously unknown male of the species (Fig. 79).

Distribution. Ghana, Ivory Coast and D.R. Congo (Hacker et al. 2012, Hacker 2014). New country record for Liberia.